Sugar Free Challenge: Week 3

BREAKFASTS

Buckwheat and ginger granola

Makes 1 large jar

Ingredients:

1 cup buckwheat

2 cups of oats

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 cups pitted dates

1 cup homemade apple purée

1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

20g fresh ginger

Method:

1⃣ Preheat oven to 180°C 2⃣ In a large bowl, mix together the oats, buckwheat and seeds. 3⃣ Next, add the dates, apple purée and coconut oil into a sauce pan and simmer for 5 minutes or until dates are soft. Grate the ginger and add to the date pan. 4⃣ When dates are soft, put mixture into a blender until completely smooth. Pour date mixture over the mixed dry ingredients and stir well until everything is coated. 5⃣ Grease 2 baking trays and pour the mixture onto them. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir everything so top doesn’t burn. Keep doing this every 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy (a total of roughly 25 minutes). 6⃣ Store in an air tight container and it will stay edible for a good few weeks.

Gingerbread smoothie (serves 1)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup cashew nuts

30g dates (roughly 1/3 cup)

1 1/2 cups almond milk

2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 ripe banana

Method:

Blitz the cashews and dates in a blender until fine. Add the rest of the ingredients and whizz up until smooth. Enjoy!

Beetroot bowl (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1/2 beetroot

1/2 avocado

1/4 cucumber

1 apple

1/2 cup orange juice

Method:

Whiz everything in the blender until smooth. Top with nuts and seeds of your choice!

LUNCHES

Sweet potato and courgette fritters (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 courgette, grated

1 small sweet potato, grated

1/4 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 eggs

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

handful of chopped basil

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1⃣ Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix together. 2⃣ Heat frying pan with coconut oil, make into fritter shape and cook each one for roughly 5 minutes on each side on a low heat (or until brown).

Thai pineapple rice

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil

1½ cups chopped fresh pineapple

1 large red bell pepper, diced

½ bunch spring onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ cup chopped raw, unsalted cashews

2 cups cooked and chilled brown rice

1 tablespoon tamari

1 small lime, halved

season with salt, to taste

Method:

1⃣ Heat a large wok over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the pineapple and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has evaporated – about 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the green onion and garlic. Cook for another minute or two. 2⃣ Pour in the cashew nuts and cook, stirring constantly. Add the rice to the pan and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is hot – about 3 minutes. 3⃣ Once all the contents are warmed through, remove the pan from heat. Add 1 tablespoon tamari and the juice from ½ of a lime and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt.

Eggless veggie omelet

Ingredients:

(To make 2 medium sized omelettes)

1 tbsp milled flaxseeds

1/2 cup chickpea flour (gram flour)

1/4 onion

1/2 pepper

handful of spinach

6 cherry tomatoes

pinch of turmeric

1/2 tsp baking powder

chilli flakes (optional)

pinch Himalayan salt

Method:

1⃣ In a bowl, add the flaxseeds and 1/4 cup warm water. Whisk and leave to one side. 2⃣ Chop the onion. Heat a pan with coconut oil and cook the onion until soft. When the onions are soft, add the spinach to the pan until it’s wilted. 3⃣ Meanwhile, combine the chickpea flour, salt, baking powder, spices, your flaxseed mix and 1/2 cup water in a bowl and whisk to combine all the mixture. Add additional water if the batter is too thick. 4⃣ Chop the other veggies into small pieces and mix into the omelette batter, including the cooked onion and spinach. 5⃣ Add a little extra oil to the pan and drop the batter in. Spread it evenly in the pan, and cook on a low heat. Pop a lid over your pan and cook for 5 minutes. Once the batter has cooked through carefully remove with a spatula and serve with a lovely side salad.

DINNERS

Gluten free pizza

(Makes 1 pizza)

Ingredients:

200g gluten free flour

1/2 tsp himalayan rock salt

2 tbsp olive oil

7g fast action yeast

1 tsp ground black pepper

125-150ml warm water

1 tbsp chopped/dried rosemary

Suggested toppings:

thin layer of tomato purée

1/2 can chopped tomatoes

red onion

mushrooms

peppers

avocado

Method:

1⃣ Preheat oven to 200°C. Put all ingredients into a bowl except water, and mix well. Slowly add enough water to make the flour blend soft but not sticky. Knead until the mixture comes together. 2⃣ Gather the mix into a ball and cover with cling film for 15 minutes. (Start preparing the toppings)! 3⃣ Cover a pizza tray in tin foil or baking paper and very lightly oil. Roll out dough to about 1/2cm thick. Place on pizza tray. Cover in tomato purée and cook for 10 minutes. Add the rest of your toppings and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Add avocado and enjoy!

Coconut lentil dhal, served with coconut rice (serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil

500g dry lentils

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 cans coconut milk

2 cups water

1 tbsp chopped fresh chilli

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

2 white onions

1 clove garlic

2 handfuls spinach

pinch salt

Coconut Rice (serves 6)

300g brown basmati rice

1 cup coconut milk

300ml water

1⃣ Melt 1 tsp coconut oil in a large pan. Add the turmeric, cumin, ginger, onions and garlic and cook until soft. 2⃣ Add the remaining coconut oil and the lentils, water and coconut milk. Cook until the lentils have absorbed all the liquid. 3⃣ Once almost all water has been absorbed add in the spinach and chillies. Viola! For the coconut rice, simply add the rice and both liquids into a saucepan and cook on low heat until the all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Quinoa and vegetable bake (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 red pepper

1 courgette grated

1 carrot grated

1 onion chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

handful of chopped tomatoes

3 free-range eggs

Method:

1⃣ Cook the quinoa how it states on the packet. Whilst this is cooking heat the onion, garlic, pepper and tomatoes in a frying pan and cook until brown. Add this into a mixing bowl along with the grated carrot and courgette. When the quinoa is cooked add to the mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs and add to mixture. Mix well. 2⃣ Pour the mixture into a baking dish and cook for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

DESSSERT

Banana ‘ice-cream’ with caramel sauce (serves 1)

Ingredients for the ice-cream:

1 1/2 frozen bananas

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Ingredients for the sauce:

1/2 cup pitted dates

1/4 teaspoon molasses

sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt

1 tbsp flax seeds

1/4 cup water

Method:

1⃣ Blend all the ice-cream ingredients together in the blender until completely smooth. Transfer into bowl. 2⃣ Blend all the sauce ingredients together in blender and serve with the ice-cream. Top with cacao nibs and flaked almonds.

SNACK

Raw chia seed, coconut and goji berry brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dates

1/2 cup cashew nuts

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp cacao powder

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

1 tbsp goji berries

1 tbsp melted coconut oil

Method:

1⃣ Blend together the dates and cashews in a food processor until the mixture starts to stick together. 2⃣ Add coconut oil and cacao powder and blend until mixed. 3⃣ Add goji berries and desiccated coconut and blend for a few seconds. 4⃣ Line a baking tray with baking paper and press the mixture in firmly. Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into slices and serving.